Wang Yuan no longer hesitated. He held his breath, focused his mind, and began following the secret manual's instructions, attempting to guide the surging Vital Blood within him, like a rushing river.
At first, his Vital Blood flowed steadily along its predetermined route.
But when Wang Yuan's mind stirred and he tried to activate the unique method of Blood Burning—
The once-docile Vital Blood instantly grew restless.
"Hiss."
A scorching sensation rose from deep within his meridians, as though tiny flames had been lit inside his body.
Wang Yuan frowned slightly. The immense resilience of his Dragon Tendons firmly held his meridians in place, keeping them from being damaged by the turbulent Vital Blood.
His Tiger Bones, meanwhile, continuously supplied him with a profound reserve of Vital Blood, sustaining this initial burning.
He carefully controlled the intensity and range of the burning, not daring to go too fiercely from the very start.
Once, twice, three times...
He kept trying, adjusting, and adapting.
Sweat seeped from his forehead, only to be evaporated by the heat rising from within him.
Inside the small room, a faint reddish mist of Vital Blood swirled around his body, raising the temperature by several degrees.
With the extraordinary control and vast Vital Blood granted by Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone—
The Entry Stage was almost entirely without bottlenecks for him.
Who knew how much time passed? When the first faint light of dawn appeared beyond the window—
Wang Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, a flicker of crimson flashing through them.
He let out a low shout, and the Vital Blood within him thundered along the route of the Blood Burning Technique.
"Buzz!"
A sensation of power, far more violent and several times more blazing than usual, instantly filled his entire body.
His muscles swelled slightly, veins writhing beneath his skin like little snakes.
He felt that his strength, speed, and reactions had all increased by roughly fifty percent at this moment.
Though this state could only last for around thirty breaths.
And afterward, he would feel a distinct emptiness and fatigue.
That sensation of wielding overwhelming power was intoxicating.
"Blood Burning Technique, Minor Accomplishment!"
Wang Yuan slowly reined in his Vital Blood. Feeling the tide-like retreat of his power and the weakness that followed, a satisfied smile still appeared on his face.
This was only the beginning.
At Minor Accomplishment, a fifty-percent boost in strength was already enough to give him an absolute advantage against martial artists of the same rank.
He could even threaten some weaker Second Blood Change martial artists.
He believed that as his understanding of the technique deepened and his control over his own Vital Blood became more refined, reaching Major Accomplishment and even Perfection was not some distant dream.
By then, an eruption of twice his strength...
Anticipation flashed through Wang Yuan's eyes.
Of course, he also understood the danger of this method.
Unless it was a life-or-death crisis, he absolutely could not use the Perfection realm lightly.
Even Minor Accomplishment and Major Accomplishment had to be used with caution, lest they leave behind hidden dangers too difficult to remedy.
"Another trump card."
Wang Yuan clenched his fist, feeling the weak period rapidly fading under the powerful recovery of Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone.
"Next comes moving house—to the South District!"
Early the next morning, just as the sky brightened.
A grayish fog blanketed Bluestone Alley, adding another layer of oppression.
Wang Yuan had long since hired a fairly sturdy horse carriage, which waited at the entrance to Bluestone Alley.
The Wang Family had always been poor as church mice, with little worth taking.
Some old clothes and bedding, along with the rice, grain, and modest savings Wang Yuan had recently purchased, were soon loaded onto the carriage.
Wang Gui and Madam Zhou took one last look at the low mud-brick house where they had lived for most of their lives.
Though there was reluctance in their eyes, there was even more relief and hope for the future.
Wang Yu also silently gazed at this familiar alley. She had endured far too many hardships here.
The carriage slowly started forward and left Bluestone Alley.
Yet the moment it entered the main street of the East District, the sight before them instantly weighed heavily on the Wang Family's hearts.
The streets were even more desolate and empty than usual, with many shops shut tight.
From time to time, they saw sick people curled up in street corners, their faces dark and bluish, their breaths faint.
There were even several corpses casually covered with torn straw mats lying by the roadside, with no one bothering to clear them away.
A strange smell, a mixture of faint rot and medicinal herbs, filled the air.
Some gaunt refugees with sallow faces and numb eyes saw the Wang Family's carriage loaded with belongings, and greed and hunger inevitably gleamed in their eyes.
When the carriage passed a narrow intersection—
A haggard man with a trace of viciousness in his eyes suddenly sprang out from the side.
The man spread his arms and blocked the carriage, shouting hoarsely, "Have mercy! Give me something to eat!"
"Otherwise... otherwise, don't even think about getting through!"
The driver was so frightened that he hurriedly pulled on the reins.
Wang Yuan's gaze turned cold. Before the man could make another move—
His body flashed, and like a ghost, he leaped down from the carriage shaft. A fierce whip kick, swift as lightning, struck directly into the man's waist.
"Bang!"
The man was like someone struck by a heavy hammer. He screamed.
His entire body flew sideways, smashed into the nearby earthen wall, then slid to the ground. For a while, he could not even climb back up.
Wang Yuan coldly swept his gaze over the refugees around them, who had been stirring restlessly and staring with vicious light in their eyes.
His gaze was like an icy blade, carrying the aura of a First Blood Change martial artist and the Killing Intent of someone who had killed only last night.
Everyone his eyes passed over felt a chill rise from the depths of their hearts. They lowered their heads or looked away, no longer daring to step forward.
Only then could the carriage continue onward, though Wang Gui and Madam Zhou inside the carriage had both gone somewhat pale.
Wang Yu pressed her lips together as well, feeling the fragility of those without power amid troubled times.
"I never expected the East District to have become this chaotic already," Wang Yuan murmured as he stood atop the carriage.
After passing through the chaotic, ruined East District and entering the South District, the scene changed at once.
Though there was still a hint of tension in the air, the streets were far cleaner.
Most of the shops on both sides remained open. Though it was not as prosperous as before, there was still some foot traffic.
There were also noticeably more patrolling constables, and order was well maintained.
The unpleasant stench of rot in the air had also faded greatly.
Clearly, the plague and famine had not yet spread to the wealthy South District.
Following the address on the property deed—
The carriage eventually stopped in a quiet alley near Panshi Fist Academy in the South District.
Before the Wang Family stood a single-courtyard residence built of blue bricks and roofed with black tiles.
Its wooden gate was painted vermilion, with two stone steps before it.
Compared with the low mud-brick house in Bluestone Alley, it was incomparably more imposing.
"Th-this... is our new home?"
Wang Gui's voice trembled, and he could scarcely believe his own eyes.
Madam Zhou's eyes reddened with excitement. Touching the smooth courtyard wall, she murmured:
"Th-this... how much silver must this have cost... Is this really for us to live in?"
Wang Yu also lifted her head to look at the tranquil, elegant Small Courtyard, her delicate face full of shock and delight.
In her previous understanding, only masters from the Inner City or exceptionally wealthy merchants from the Outer City could live in such a house.
She had never imagined that her family would one day move into one as well.
"Father, Mother, Sister, this will be our home from now on. Hurry and go inside to take a look."
Smiling, Wang Yuan pushed open the courtyard gate.
Though the courtyard was not particularly large, its layout was sensible.
There was a main house, east and west side rooms, and the kitchen and toilet were all fully furnished.
There was even a small patch of open ground where they could plant flowers, grass, or vegetables. It was clean and tidy, with ample sunlight.
It was more than enough for the four members of the Wang Family, far better than cramming the entire family into several tiny rooms in Bluestone Alley.
Wang Gui and Madam Zhou touched this and examined that, delighted like children.
Just as the family was immersed in the joy of moving into their new home, a familiar voice came from outside the courtyard gate.
Before you continue